A Ringing Hope
by YikoMeansMoonlight
Summary: Pepper goes to the auditorium every day for solitude and serenity; what will she find today? One Shot and a Song-fiction (How corny can I get?). The song is from "Shrek: The Musical" and it's called, "Who I'd Be." I wrote this a while ago so it's a little cheesy. Hopefully you like it anyway!


Pepper padded into the dimmed school auditorium. Why you ask? She was very fond of the place; it was always quiet, dark and vacant. It was her getaway when she had free-time during school. Nobody knew where she went and she was determined to keep it that way.

It wouldn't be empty though today. The boy stood on stage again, a pale yellow boom-box in his hand. She quickly began her stealthy crawling; she then leaped behind a row of the soft fold-in chairs. She looked up and waited for him to leave. He didn't. Instead he placed the radio on the floor of the stage and pressed the play button. She wished she could know who it was. He had been coming for days now and she had heard him sing a different song each day. She had actually grown to enjoy his unintended company. His voice sounded like an angel, yet she waited patiently for him to show his face. He didn't.

His mouth opened and again, it was like there was an angel inside him. "I guess I'd be a hero, with sword

and armor clashing, looking semi- dashing, shield within my grip, or else I'd be a Viking and live a life of

daring, while smelling like a haring, upon a Viking ship. I'd sail the waves,

I'd see the world, I'd reach the farthest reaches, I'd feel the wind I'd taste the salt and sea,

and maybe storm some beaches, that's who I'd be, that's who I'd be!"

Although there was something different in his voice today…a tint of sadness?

"Or I could be a poet, and tell a different story, one that tells of glory and wipes away the lies,

And to the skies I'd throw it, the stars would do the telling the moon would help with spelling and night would dot the 'I's.

I'd write a verse recite a joke with wit and perfect timing!

I'd share my heart confess the things I yearn and do it all while rhyming.

But we all learn, but we all learn.

"An ogre always hides, an ogre's fate is known,"

He swiftly turned around to face his invisible audience, "An ogre always stays in the dark and all alone!"

Pepper felt herself silently gasp at who it was as she ducked behind the seat in front of her.

"So yes I'd be a hero, and if my wish were granted life would be enchanted or so the stories say.

Of course I'd be a hero, and I would scale a tower!" he reached into his yellow pants pocket and slid a

picture out of it. He held it in front of his face while he sang the next line.

"To save a hunt-house flower, and carry her away!

But standing guard would be a beast, I'd somehow over whelm it,

I'd get the girl, I'd take a breath, and I remove my helmet!

"We'd stand and stare, we'd speak of love, we'd feel the stars ascending,

we share a kiss, I find my destiny!

I'd have a hero's ending, a perfect happy ending.

That's how it would be,

A big bright beautiful world!"

His face fell and his voice cracked miserably, "But not for me."

He opened his mouth again to sing, but his phone vibrated. He frowned and glanced at the text. He placed his lime green glasses back on the bridge of his nose, pressed stop on the boom-box, grabbed it and walked up the isle and out of the auditorium. Once the door swung shut Pepper tip-toed to the edge of the stage. She sat down and sighed, _"Those were a lot of different feelings…" _she thought, as she remembered the many unknown faces of Gene that she had discovered today. She stood up, only to feel her foot slip on a piece of paper. No: a picture. She picked it up to take a look at it. Then dropped it. It was a painting of her, with Gene. It was stapled to an actual picture of them. _He _had painted it. He was singing about _her. _She felt her knees buckle and she hit the ground with her two hands groping at the painting.

"Hey." Gene's voice echoed throughout the room. He was standing right in front of her.

"Gene!" Pepper yelped.

Blushing he grinned and sighed, "Do you like the painting?"

"Oh!" she just realized she was still holding it and studying it, "Yeah." She attempted a smile and handed it to him.

"It's for a class," he muttered awkwardly, "I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah."

"Oh!" he remembered something. He took off his sunglasses and placed them on her face, "Take care of these for me?"

"Sure." She smiled.

He waved as he ran to his next class.

"You'll never be alone Gene." She whispered under her breath with a sincere simper on her lips.


End file.
